UTICA, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State women's volleyball team continued the undefeated start to its 2021 season on Saturday, sweeping Utica College and SUNY Poly in a tri-match hosted by SUNY Poly. The Cardinals defeated Utica, 3-0 (25-20, 25-12, 25-19), before topping SUNY Poly, 3-0 (25-16, 25-16, 25-15).
 
Plattsburgh State rises to 3-0 overall with the wins and next competes at the North Country Classic from Friday-Saturday, Sept. 10-11. The Cardinals open the event on Friday against Clarkson University (4 p.m.) and St. John Fisher College (6 p.m.). Utica falls to 0-3 overall with the loss and next hosts SUNY Delhi on Wednesday, Sept. 8, while SUNY Poly drops to 1-2 overall with the loss and next visits Union College on Tuesday, Sept. 7.
 
Plattsburgh State 3, Utica 0 (25-20, 25-12, 25-19)
 
Senior outside hitter/opposite Meghan O'Brien (Marietta, N.Y./Marcellus) paced the Cardinals' offense in the first match of the day against Utica, flooring a career-high 11 kills while hitting .474 for the contest. She also landed a career-high seven service aces. Sophomore setter Emma Rivers (Nesconset, N.Y./Smithtown West) and senior setter/defensive specialist Olga Muka (Hicksville, N.Y./Holy Trinity Diocesan) combined for 29 assists, while sophomore defensive specialist/outside hitter Payton Zophy (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) defended 12 digs.
 
Plattsburgh State hit .333 for the match (38-10-84) and finished with the upper hand in service aces (18-3), blocks (2-0) and digs (28-27).
 
The first set was tightly contested until a kill by junior outside hitter/opposite Jenn Braun (Garrison, N.Y./Walter Panas), a service ace by Zophy and a kill by O'Brien staked the Cardinals to a 23-19 lead. After Utica sided out Plattsburgh State on the ensuing rally, a kill by O'Brien and a Pioneer attack error handed the Cardinals a 25-20 win in the first.
 
Plattsburgh State jumped out to an early lead in the second and eventually broke the set open with an eight-point surge, and a Zophy termination pinned the Cardinals to a 16-4 edge. Utica was unable to overcome the deficit, and Plattsburgh State wound up taking the second set, 25-12.
 
The Cardinals set the tone early in the third by scoring the first five points, which was capped off by a Zophy service ace. The Pioneers were unable to mount a significant enough rally the remainder of the set, and Plattsburgh State claimed the match with a 25-19 victory in the third.
 
Plattsburgh State 3, SUNY Poly 0 (25-16, 25-16, 25-15)
 
Defense ruled the day for the Cardinals in the nightcap, as Plattsburgh State limited SUNY Poly to -.045 hitting for the match. Plattsburgh State also held the edge in service aces (12-6), blocks (8-0) and digs (49-48).
 
While the two teams battled back and forth early in the first set, the Cardinals went on a 5-1 run midway through the stanza, and a solo block by senior middle hitter Alicia Fisher (Brooklyn, N.Y./Science Skills) gave Plattsburgh State a 14-8 cushion. The Wildcats eventually whittled the margin to 20-16, but five straight points, including three consecutive service aces by O'Brien to close the set, gave the Cardinals a 25-16 win in the opening frame.
 
After losing the first rally of the second set, Plattsburgh State scored six straight points, with a Braun kill pushing the Cardinals out in front, 6-1. SUNY Poly was unable to overcome that early hole, and Plattsburgh State used back-to-back kills by senior middle hitter Ann Beauchamp (Potsdam, N.Y./Potsdam) to win the second, 25-16.
 
With the momentum squarely in the Cardinals' corner, Plattsburgh State hopped out to a commanding 7-0 lead to start the third set thanks in large part to Fisher. During that span, Fisher posted three blocks and one kill. SUNY Poly did eventually pull within 15-11, and after back-and-forth play, the Cardinals scored six straight points to lead 24-14. While the Wildcats fought off the first match point, a SUNY Poly attack error sealed the Plattsburgh State win.
 
O'Brien posted a balanced performance of seven kills, six digs and five service aces, while Braun hammered down six kills and did not commit a single hitting error en route to a .353 hitting percentage. Rivers posted a 12-assist, 10-dig double-double, while Zophy reinforced the back row with 11 digs. Fisher finished the match with a career-high six blocks (four solo, two assist).
 
Junior middle hitter Emma Draper led the SUNY Poly attack with eight kills, while graduate student setter Kaley Pichura nearly posted a double-double with 22 assists and nine digs.